Johannesburg, 24 May 2012
Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure is fun and exhausting! Players enter a virtual amusement park where they will find five themed adventures based on some of the most popular Disney/Pixar movies - The Incredibles, Toy Story, Cars, Ratatouille and Up - making the game instantly playable.
First up, this game is obviously aimed at the younger generation - anyone between six- and 12-years-old will absolutely love it and will be kept busy for hours. Anyone older will also have fun, but will soon be exhausted, except for divorced dads and stepfathers, who will forge ahead regardless.
At the beginning, players are guided through a process whereby their avatar is created. They then head off to the theme park, where they are met by a bunch of young friends who guide and encourage them to go on the various rides.
The Incredibles takes the player to the island in the film where they are tasked with rescuing damsels or destroying giant robots and the like. By waving their arms and moving their legs, players are propelled along a linear path where they can gather coins and complete clearly highlighted tasks, some of which include throwing huge concrete blocks at windows. Show me a 10-year-old boy who wouldn't be thrilled!
This particular chapter also has a free-fall scenario that's fast and fun!
In Ratatouille, the player is obviously a rat that gets to scurry about and rescue fellow rats, do some serious balancing acts and slide down roofs at rat-neck-breaking speeds.
One thing about this game is that it is very polished. The graphics are beautiful and true to the films. Even watching someone playing is a pleasure. The gameplay is linear and fairly obvious, and the player is given a companion to lead the way and to encourage or give hints on how to complete puzzles or scenarios.
At any time, a second player can jump right into the action by simply waving an arm. Of course this means that if the second player is seated behind the first player, he or she better sit still - or risk getting shouted at.
The other episodes include driving cars with Mater, and doing one's best to reach infinity and beyond as Buzz Lightyear.
I have to give this game a perfect score; it's superbly made, a lot of fun to play and watch, and I believe it will have a very long shelf life. As for the time it will take to complete, that's a tough one; many of the scenes are fairly short, but are more fun the second or third time around, and as players get better at the gestures, they go faster and score higher points. This, in turn, unlocks special features and extra levels. There are three “stages” for every game, so expect to play this for a long time.
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